Tennis Glossary: B
Backhand: Stroke in which the ball is hit with the back of the racket hand facing the ball at the moment of contact. A backhand is often hit by a right-handed player when the ball is on the left side of the court, and vice versa. *'Backhand smash:' A type of smash played over the backhand side. *'Backcourt:' The area of the tennis court between the baseline and the service line. *'Backspin:' Shot that rotates the ball backwards after it is hit; also known as slice or underspin. The trajectory of the shot is affected by an upward force that lifts the ball. *'Backswing:' Portion of a swing where the racket is swung backwards in preparation for the forward motion to hit the ball. *'Bagel:' Colloquial term for winning or losing a set 6–0. *'Bagnall–Wild:' A method of draw which places all byes in the first round. Introduced in the 1880s. *'Ball toss:' The action of throwing up the ball prior to the serve. *'Baseline:' Line at the farthest ends of the court indicating the boundary of the area of play. If the ball goes over the base it will be the other player's point. *'Baseliner:' Player who plays around the baseline during play and relies on the quality of his or her ground strokes. In Prince of Tennis, they are called Aggressive Baseliners. *'Big serve:' Forceful serve, usually giving an advantage in the point for the server. *'Block (or blocked return):' Defensive shot with relatively little backswing and shortened action instead of a full swing, usually while returning a serve. *'Bounce:' The upward movement of the ball after it has hit the ground. The trajectory of the bounce can be affected by the surface and weather, the amount and type of spin and the power of the shot. *'Breadstick:' Colloquial term for winning or losing a set 6–1. *'Break:' To win a game as the receiving player or team, thereby breaking serve. At high level of play the server is more likely to win a game, so breaks are often key moments of a match. *'Break back:' To win a game as the receiving player or team immediately after losing the previous game as the serving player or team. *'Break point:' Point which, if won by the receiver, would result in a break of service; arises when the score is 30–40 or 40–ad. A double break point or two break points arises at 15–40; a triple break point or three break points arises at 0–40. *'Breaker:' Colloquial term for tiebreak. *'Buggy whip:' Forehand hit with a follow-through that does not go across the body and finish on the opposite side, but rather goes from low to high, crosses the opposite shoulder (optionally) and finishes on the same side. In Prince of Tennis, this is called Snake. *'Bumper guard:' A piece of plastic that protects the outside of the upper-half of the racket head. *'Bye:' Automatic advancement of a player to the next round of a tournament without facing an opponent. Byes are often awarded in the first round to the top-seeded players in a tournament. Category:Tennis